Only On The Walters Post
Now, I’m not here to tell folks what to think, I’m just sharing what life has shown me. Take from it what makes sense, leave the rest, but maybe let it sit with you a while.
Well, here we go again.
Seems like every time we get a bit of footing under us, someone in a shiny suit down at Queen’s Park decides the playing field needs tilting. This time, it’s Premier Ford opening up grocery store shelves to more alcohol — and not just any alcohol, but private-label wine and beer, made by big corporations and sold under the store’s own brand names.
Now, on the surface, it sounds harmless enough, right? More choice for the shopper. A bit of wine with your weekly groceries. Maybe even cheaper prices. That’s the story they’re spinning.
But if you scratch past the label — just like a bad bottle of wine — what’s underneath doesn’t smell so sweet.
I’ve spent most of my life working the land. I’ve watched friends grow grapes, press cider, make honest wine with their own hands. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s who they are. These are folks who know the soil, who pray over frost warnings, who bottle with care and sell face-to-face at markets or through the LCBO, often hoping to break even after the bills are paid.
And now? They’re being told they may have to compete with Costco’s Kirkland wine or whatever fancy label Walmart decides to slap on their bulk brew. These big-box giants will get prime shelf space, better prices from large-scale suppliers, and the marketing clout to bury smaller names — often without folks even realizing it’s happening.
That’s not competition — that’s suffocation.
And let’s not forget the Beer Store closures. While everyone’s been distracted by wine in grocery aisles, the Beer Store’s been quietly shutting down. Ten more locations just closed up, and with them went hundreds of steady jobs — the kind that used to support families. It’s not just about selling beer. It’s about where we return our empties, too. The Beer Store took everything — bottles, cans, you name it. Now folks are left wondering where to take their returns, while retailers pick and choose what they’ll accept. That used to be simple. Not anymore.
Worse still, when you hand alcohol sales to the grocery chains, you also hand over a lot of quiet control to the government and the retailers. They get to decide who’s in, who’s out, and what goes where. If you’re a small farmer trying to get your wine on the shelf, good luck. You’re not just competing against the big guys — you’re trying to breathe in a room that’s already full.
And where does that leave us?
Well, for starters, it leaves the little producers scrambling — and the communities they support feeling forgotten. It sends a message that quality and craftsmanship come second to volume and profit. It tells the next generation of winemakers, cider pressers, and brewers that there’s no space for them unless they can mass-produce.
And it tells folks like me — people who’ve spent decades growing food and watching trends come and go — that once again, big business is being handed the keys while the rest of us are expected to stand at the gate and smile.
I’m not against change, and I’m not against good wine sold at a fair price. But there’s a difference between opening doors and kicking people out of the room. If we’re not careful, Ontario’s shelves are going to start looking a lot like its politics — packed with the same names, over and over, while the local stories and flavours quietly disappear.
It’s not just about booze. It’s about balance. It’s about fairness. And it’s about preserving the small, honest voices that helped build this province from the ground up.
Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive.
And remember: a paycheck isn’t government property; it’s a man’s lifeblood. Let him keep it. All taxes should be removed from paychecks. GW
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In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!
George Walters | [email protected]
